Comments on: How to Get Sharp Telephoto Images http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images Photo/video thoughts from the largest rental house Wed, 19 Jun 2013 20:40:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Michelle http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-32046 Michelle Fri, 08 Mar 2013 04:25:26 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-32046 This was well written and very much appreciated. I am just learning my zoom lens and as an accomplished photographer was extremely frustrated before I learned it really does take a whole new set of skills. Thank you for your time! This was well written and very much appreciated. I am just learning my zoom lens and as an accomplished photographer was extremely frustrated before I learned it really does take a whole new set of skills. Thank you for your time!

]]> By: Bob Lemlin http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-26231 Bob Lemlin Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:03:30 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-26231 Read many years ago (+25) a tripod test that showed that adding weight anywhere other than the tripod head had little or no effect on vibration damping. Bags hung or objects added to legs, platforms had no real effect. Weight had to be secured to the head for best results. Results were all documented on film examined under a microscope. Do you have any other references that test the effectiveness of adding weight to a platform? Thanks for your work on this. Read many years ago (+25) a tripod test that showed that adding weight anywhere other than the tripod head had little or no effect on vibration damping.

Bags hung or objects added to legs, platforms had no real effect.

Weight had to be secured to the head for best results.

Results were all documented on film examined under a microscope.

Do you have any other references that test the effectiveness of adding weight to a platform?

Thanks for your work on this.

]]> By: Zarina Smirnova http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-24560 Zarina Smirnova Fri, 09 Nov 2012 16:19:07 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-24560 HI, I understand, that I should not rely on autofocus, but you did not mention anything about using manual focus: if I put it on "infinite" - would it work( i am working with a tripod )? HI, I understand, that I should not rely on autofocus, but you did not mention anything about using manual focus: if I put it on “infinite” – would it work( i am working with a tripod )?

]]> By: Frank Kolwicz http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-17404 Frank Kolwicz Mon, 03 Sep 2012 20:32:16 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-17404 Regarding the 1/focal length formula for shutter speed: this rule of thumb is generally given for all lenses and is only supposed to work for lenses focused at infinity. Most telephoto subjects are photographed at distances much closer than infinity and when you do that you have to factor-in the additional magnification effect of a close subject. Actually, the rule of thumb formula is just an approximation for correcting for the overall magnification factor, but magnification is not nearly so handy to figure out. The magnification effect is also clearly seen in macro work, which is even more sensitive to vibration because of the higher magnification used compared to telephoto work. Add to that any cropping due to the camera or in post processing and the total can be devastating to your images. Another recommendation I've had is to always have the camera set to do multiple frames rather than one at a time. The second and subsequent frames do not require you to depress the shutter button again, thereby eliminating that source of vibration, but this may be counter-productive when working on a tripod with a remote release as the vibrations from the first frame may make the second one worse. When using an effective tripod/head and doing rapid sequential exposures, it may be beneficial to rest the weight of your arms on the camera/lens to dampen the mirror/shutter vibrations and try to control you body's component of camera movement, which should be slower and may have less effect at low to moderate shutter speeds than shutter/mirror induced vibrations. Regarding the 1/focal length formula for shutter speed: this rule of thumb is generally given for all lenses and is only supposed to work for lenses focused at infinity. Most telephoto subjects are photographed at distances much closer than infinity and when you do that you have to factor-in the additional magnification effect of a close subject. Actually, the rule of thumb formula is just an approximation for correcting for the overall magnification factor, but magnification is not nearly so handy to figure out. The magnification effect is also clearly seen in macro work, which is even more sensitive to vibration because of the higher magnification used compared to telephoto work. Add to that any cropping due to the camera or in post processing and the total can be devastating to your images.

Another recommendation I’ve had is to always have the camera set to do multiple frames rather than one at a time. The second and subsequent frames do not require you to depress the shutter button again, thereby eliminating that source of vibration, but this may be counter-productive when working on a tripod with a remote release as the vibrations from the first frame may make the second one worse.

When using an effective tripod/head and doing rapid sequential exposures, it may be beneficial to rest the weight of your arms on the camera/lens to dampen the mirror/shutter vibrations and try to control you body’s component of camera movement, which should be slower and may have less effect at low to moderate shutter speeds than shutter/mirror induced vibrations.

]]> By: Harriet http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-8546 Harriet Mon, 21 May 2012 12:47:41 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-8546 Thanks a lot for this, it really helped! I was wondering if my zoom telephoto is very bad, but when I read the reviews, they said it is a good lens... ;). So, I'll have to do some learning, and this helped a lot!! Thanks a lot for this, it really helped! I was wondering if my zoom telephoto is very bad, but when I read the reviews, they said it is a good lens… ;) . So, I’ll have to do some learning, and this helped a lot!!

]]> By: Tim Stapp http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-2872 Tim Stapp Mon, 02 Jan 2012 14:16:34 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-2872 Interesting note on the Marine sniper and timing to his pulse beat. I've noticed this in my own shooting (both as a marksman and a photographer), but never mentioned before this. Interesting note on the Marine sniper and timing to his pulse beat. I’ve noticed this in my own shooting (both as a marksman and a photographer), but never mentioned before this.

]]> By: Tom Cavanaugh http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-2362 Tom Cavanaugh Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:04:09 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-2362 There's something else going on that runs counter to your explanation, though it's effect is limited. Camera shake is a result of our constant battle with gravity in our attempt to stand upright, so it's a result of the actions of our pwn muscles. Bigger, heavier lenses are harder to shake than smaller, lighter lenses. Their mass provides a damping factor of their own, so the amount of blur when using a big, heavy lens would be less than what you would expect by just extrapolating the results when using a less big, less heavy lens. There’s something else going on that runs counter to your explanation, though it’s effect is limited.

Camera shake is a result of our constant battle with gravity in our attempt to stand upright, so it’s a result of the actions of our pwn muscles. Bigger, heavier lenses are harder to shake than smaller, lighter lenses. Their mass provides a damping factor of their own, so the amount of blur when using a big, heavy lens would be less than what you would expect by just extrapolating the results when using a less big, less heavy lens.

]]> By: Walter Freeman http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-1052 Walter Freeman Sun, 31 Jul 2011 00:39:13 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-1052 There's a guy on the Four Thirds forums over at dpreview.com who has their 70-300 f/5.6 lens. Because of the 2x crop factor, this is a pretty long lens on Four Thirds. Well, he has a dud copy, or a bad AF system, or something, because he claims he can't get sharp results unless he stops it down to ridiculous apertures like f/14. So he does, and is left with shutter speeds like 1/30... ... and manages to post all these sharp pictures at 600mm EFL, handheld, at 1/30 second. The guy is a human tripod. (Olympus IS is very good. It's not *that* good.) There’s a guy on the Four Thirds forums over at dpreview.com who has their 70-300 f/5.6 lens. Because of the 2x crop factor, this is a pretty long lens on Four Thirds.

Well, he has a dud copy, or a bad AF system, or something, because he claims he can’t get sharp results unless he stops it down to ridiculous apertures like f/14. So he does, and is left with shutter speeds like 1/30…

… and manages to post all these sharp pictures at 600mm EFL, handheld, at 1/30 second. The guy is a human tripod. (Olympus IS is very good. It’s not *that* good.)

]]> By: Roger Cicala http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-871 Roger Cicala Tue, 19 Jul 2011 18:00:07 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-871 I really did mean slower. He's an ex marine sniper. He just can hold still far better than normal humans. I really did mean slower. He’s an ex marine sniper. He just can hold still far better than normal humans.

]]> By: Andrew http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2009/08/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images/comment-page-1#comment-865 Andrew Mon, 18 Jul 2011 23:19:56 +0000 http://localhost:6081/news/2009.08.23/how-to-get-sharp-telephoto-images#comment-865 Was rereading this as a refresher as I'm looking at the Panasonic 100-300mm lens and caught this: I have one customer who constantly gets great images shooting a Canon 500 f/4 (a very large lens) handheld at 1/200 shutter speeds, sometimes even a bit slower. I'm assuming you meant faster at the end there, but not like it's a big deal. Was rereading this as a refresher as I’m looking at the Panasonic 100-300mm lens and caught this:

I have one customer who constantly gets great images shooting a Canon 500 f/4 (a very large lens) handheld at 1/200 shutter speeds, sometimes even a bit slower.

I’m assuming you meant faster at the end there, but not like it’s a big deal.

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